Charlemagne Sword Letter Opener. Carolus Magnus, Charles the Great, king of the Franks and Emperor of Western Europe, was born in 742, and became an undisputed leader and one of the great centers of power in history, the Holy Roman Empire.
Charlemagne's empire was founded on the fighting strength of the Franks, a confederation of fierce barbarian tribes from the fields of the Rhine in Germany, and filling the void left by the fall of ancient Rome. His broad ambition, often augmented with the aim of extending Christianity to France, Germany, Italy and many other territories.
An aggressive conqueror, shrewd politician and statesman, and a lucky General, Charlemagne set the scene of his vast empire which, in different forms, has reached the twentieth century.